Zig the Marginal Duelist
by Kikaromi
Summary: After receiving a mysterious letter from an unknown sender, Zig leaves his home to join New Domino's WTGP tournament. With sub-par dueling skills and little chance of success, his fate is a mystery to both himself and those around him. Set in TF5-verse.
1. The Marginal Duelist

**Hello one and all. It's Kika here, and with me I have a story that was a weird decision that I'm willing to try!**

**Just to explain a few things, our resident Red Hat's probably going to be a LOT different than you expect. And I mean a _lot_. **  
**Zig's originally from Last Ranker, but he's basically been adapted to his very different role with much reluctance. Too bad for him, I'm the writer here. C: **

**Anywho, I won't distract you any longer. Hope you like this; if you do feel free to Favorite it/Review it! Thanks in advance!**

* * *

"Good day, everyone! As Vice Director of the Public Security Bureau, I welcome you all. As I'm sure you're aware, New Domino City has undergone some major changes. For example, the opening of the Daedalus Bridge has linked out city to Satellite. Also, the World Racing Gran Prix-the WRGP for short-will serve as a symbol of our new city."

The Vice Director paused for a moment, letting the crowd below cheer in anticipation for the WGRP. Not all Duelists were into Turbo Dueling, but those who were often became fanatics rather quickly. The last tournament to feature Turbo Duels being so long ago and hardly welcoming anybody, suffice to say people were anxious to show off their skills to the world.

"But, as a new addition, there will be a prelude to the WRGP beginning on this fine day. Thus, I would like to announce the opening of the World Tag Duel Gran Prix, aka the WTGP!"

Whatever clamor left over from the announcement of the WRGP died down to bred a world of confusion. Everyone didn't expect this-well...not **everyone **per se. One person expected such a twist, although it came with consequences. His name: Zig Kraft.

Zig Kraft wasn't much of a duelist. In reality, he just started dueling the day before thanks to a mysterious letter delivered to him prior. Normally he'd dismiss such suspicious items; however, the mention of "the cost of your friend's lives" and the list of names for said friends included was more than enough to at least coax him into leaving his home to investigate.

The letter didn't have any real demands beyond, "Enter the WTGP and win." Lord knows why **him** specifically winning was such a big deal to the sender, yet it wasn't like he could casually walk up to the person and ask. They left no name or address, so the teen was completely in the dark on this one. He'd have to follow the instructions and go from there. If he did as much, perhaps the sender would pay him a visit and ensure their bargain came through.

"There's two members to a team, no age limit, and both citizens and non-citizens can join in. Every duelist can participate in the WTGP, which is the purpose of its creation! Matches will be held at Combat Lane, built just outside the city, and will the WRGP finals."

_...Combat Lane?_ Zig pondered the name, digging through his memory to hopefully recognize the name. He found no success, so he gave up and kept listening to the Vice Director's speech.

"The WRGP and WTGP will define our town as an even more perfect place to live. New Domino City-where people from all walks of life, young or old, can enjoy a good duel! These two tournaments will be the events of a lifetime and a bridge to eternal peace! With that, I wish you all great fortune."

The Vice Director left immediately after finishing, leaving people to scramble out and around. Zig couldn't hope to begin approaching people to become his tag partner with such a giant crowd. All of them were unfamiliar faces, and he wasn't too keen on those. Eventually he'd have to suck it up, or else the only people he'd know left _were _unfamiliar faces...

With a sigh, Zig searched around for a seat to simply observe the people walking about for now. Most of the attendees were adults, though he caught groups of kids and what he assumed to be academy students here and there. He had to wonder what classified one as a good duelist, although whatever it could be it didn't include a complete novice duelist like himself.

_Who do I begin to ask? The sender'll probably punish me or my friends if I screw up. Both of those are must-avoids. _

"..Hey, what about that one in the red hat?" A voice possibly pointed him out in the far corner of the room. There weren't many people wearing red hats most likely.

"Hey, you over there! Quit standin' around by yourself. Get over here!" A much harsher voice demanded he join a small posse of three males a good distance left of him. Zig flinched when he heard it, but he stood up from his chair and meekly walked over to meet the first two voices and their third companion.

The one who called him over rather loudly had a large stage presence. Well-kept golden hair, tall stature, expensive clothing, and an aura of authority were the most recognizable things Zig found at a glance. His eyes were fixed in a cold glare, traveling from his hat to his shoes once or twice to study him over. If the man weren't so intimidating, he'd offer a rebuttal of sorts for the lack of manners he was given.

"Come on, Jack. Show a little manner, huh?" Jack's shorter friend read his mind, bumping his side to help their addition to the conversation less stiff.

The second person, revealed to be Crow as Jack jumped on the guy's case, seemed much more friendly. Besides the weird gold marking on his forehead and beneath his eyes, he wore a more casual outfit, sporting a brown jacket and a plain orange t-shirt. His hair was of matching color, spiked upwards in a fashion choice Zig thought to question. From the way he scolded Jack like a child, they had to be longtime friends. Otherwise Jack would be the sort of person to deliver a swift punch and start a fist fight...in theory.

"Since you're here, I take it you're a duelist like us, right?" Crow snapped Zig back to reality by presenting him with a harmless question.

Zig took a minute to respond, a bit cautious to admit the "like us" part had to be false, "Yeah. I'm from out of town, so I admit I'm a bit jumpy with all these new faces to meet and an entirely new city to explore." That much was the truth.

"It's cool man. I'm Crow, this here's Yusei..." Crow pointed to the last of the group who hadn't said a thing since he walked over, "And the rude moocher here is Jack."

"Crow? Did you just call me a "moocher"? What's your problem?" Jack cut into Crow's introduction, huffing at the improper word used to describe him.

"Isn't it obvious? You're a regular freeloader, sponging of other, so it's perfect."

"Come say that to my _**FACE**_!"

"Hey! You wanna piece of me or what?!"

Zig and Yusei were left by themselves as a shouting match erupted between Crow and Jack. A few random patrons turned around to watch the fray, not that either contestant noticed. Yusei took this opportunity to guide Zig a few feet away to talk to him one-on-one, a thing the newbie duelist could get behind.

"So your name's Zig, is it? Don't be a stranger, we're all duelists here." Yusei encouraged him right off the bat, somewhat against his outward appearance.

At first view, Yusei looked like the type to keep to himself and have a few close friends at best. He wore black jeans with knee pads, his blue coat sharing these same pads for both his shoulders and elbows. His hair spiked upwards and sideways, gold highlights accenting a few of the spikes. Another one of those gold marks rested itself underneath Yusei's left eye, must be a weird trend, contrasting his dark blue eyes, black shirt, and brown boots. Not the most welcoming ensemble, but what did he know?

"Oh, and don't worry about Jack and Crow. They're always going at it." Yusei indirectly apologized for his friends' behavior, as Zig's muteness suggested his discomfort.

"I figured as much. They seem like they're close."

* * *

Continuing to make small talk for a few minutes, a woman wearing a low-cut red corset and similarly colored trench coat, hair, choker, and duel disk if the name served him correctly approached the spread-out group, "Wow... As rowdy as always, I see." She openly commented, drawing the attention of Crow and Jack.

"Akiza? I didn't know you were here." Yusei welcomed her with a hint of surprise, suggested more by his tone rather than his expression.

"The WTGP doesn't require a Duel Runner, so it looks like I'll be able to join." Zig noticed one of these "Duel Runners" on his way to the Event Site. It forever cemented his desire not to ride one as his encounter began and ended with him nearly losing a leg via a reckless driver.

"Hey Izinski. I'll bet you're dying to team up with Yusei, right~?" Crow's face twisted to a devilish smile, confusing the odd one out.

"Well, sure... If you don't mind, Yusei. What do you say we partner up?" Akiza's cheeks turned a rosy color, an item Yusei seemed to glance over with his response.

"Don't get caught up in the excitement and make any hasty decisions. Think it over."

Akiza's blushed disappeared, replaced with a slightly defeated growl. "Fine... Someone from Duel Academy might be entering the WTGP after all. I might just enter with them." Her eyes suddenly burned with resolution as she raised her voice slightly. "Too bad for you, Yusei, if that's how the chips fall!"

Zig, completely blown back at the radical shift in her personality, spoke his mind out of reflex. "Hopefully I'm not the only one noticing this, but is Akiza acting prickly out of nowhere?"

Crow caught wind of his comment and thought to answer him. "You think so, huh? Well that's because-"

"-She reminds me of a rose. One wrong move and you'll find the thorns."

Jack found this comparison amusing, taking on the explanation in Crow's stead. "Great comparison! Izinski's best monster is the Black Rose Dragon, so you've hit the nail on the head, Zig."

"Nope, that's not what I meant at all." Crow rubbed the back of his head, not meaning to bring decks into the mix. "But you're a lot sharper than you look, Zig."

The compliment caused Zig to blush, which his hat somewhat hid to his delight. He got lucky was all-Crow didn't need to butter him up for it.

* * *

Not much after Akiza's entrance, two kids were calling out to Akiza and Yusei, the two of them twins by their outside similarities. They appeared from behind Jack, the boy of the two brimming with excitement at the sight of everyone. His sister followed behind, enthusiastic all the same, yet she kept herself calm and far less noisy.

"Leo? You're here too?" Yusei knew the boy's name right away. Just how many people _did _this guy know?

"And Luna too, of course?" Akiza pointed out Leo's sister with a smile, giving her a chance to speak against her brother's mile-a-minute ramblings.

"Uh-huh. How are you, Akiza? Isn't this a great party?" Luna approached Akiza and spoke in a manner that set her beyond her years. She'd become a kind woman in the future, for sure.

"Crow and Jack, how've you two been? I've never been better myself!" Leo, on the other hand, couldn't contain his childish instincts and let them run freely. It wasn't a bad thing; kids should enjoy their age while it lasts, or so Zig believed. "Uh, who's this?"

Yusei, after tapping Zig's shoulder to catch his attention, introduced his new acquaintance. "This is Zig, a duelist we just met."

This response was all Leo needed to work himself up. After jumping a few times to nearly meet Zig's face, the kid suddenly yelled in a giant burst of energy. "Hey, Zig! What do you say we duel some time? I bet you have some super cool strategies!"

Zig meant to say something, but Luna had joined Leo's side unexpectedly. If she wanted to say something, he wouldn't interrupt. "I'm Luna. Leo and I are twins. Its nice to meet you, Zig."

Standing side-by-side, the two certainly fit the bill as far as twins went. They were maybe an inch or two off in height, same blue-green hair color, same metallic gold eye color, and same basic outfit with modifications as you wouldn't see a boy wearing pink very often. What split them apart was their different personalities-Luna conducted herself like a proper young lady while Leo let loose and acted like a wild animal. They were kind of cute in their own unique ways.

"Hey Yusei! You guys are gonna duel in the WTGP, too, right?" Luna moved along to Yusei, not that Zig minded.

"That's the plan." Yusei answered without missing a beat.

"Riding or standing, shrinking away from a duel ain't my style." Jack said with a short "hmph" at the end. Someone's ego was showing.

"Same here! Since I can't ride a Duel Runner, I couldn't join the WRGP... But I can duel in the WTGP, and I'm goin' for the top prize!"

Zig hid a grimace as his gaze shifted to the floor. A prize, huh? While a prize would be nice for the effort, it mattered little for his reasons of entering. His "prize" was just to make sure his friends weren't killed because his dueling skills were dirt poor. As much as relying on someone he hardly knew left a terrible aftertaste, he desperately needed someone who knew their way in a duel to survive beyond the 1st Round. Not that he was in a rush to tell anyone the stakes.

"Don't let Leo's boasting get to you, Zig. My brother really is one big show-off." Luna must have spotted him frowning and staring down for a moment. He soothed her worries by flashing a smile, assuring her Leo's show-offiness proved no bother at all.

* * *

"By the way, Yusei. Who've you got in mind for a tag partner?" Jack asked after the group split up-only Jack, Yusei, and Zig remained. The rest of the crew sought to do other things, a luxury Zig lacked without any knowledge of the city.

"Actually, I haven't decided yet. I had my mind on the WRGP the entire time." Yusei admitted without hesitation. "How about you, Jack?"

"Heh...Who I team up with is irrelevant." For some reason, Jack's attention suddenly turned to Zig, who immediately straightened himself in response. "In fact, what about you, Zig? How about we partner up, huh?"

The taken aback teen froze up like a deer in headlights, never expecting such a question to be asked of him in a million years. A decent part of him wished to graciously accept right that second, the other part warning him not to make hasty decisions. And, considering Jack's ego, how would he feel partnering up with someone who couldn't win a duel to save his life?

Yusei saved Zig a life of embarrassment, offering some advice to ward off the question naturally. "Hold on, Jack. Since the WTGP is made up of Tag Duels, you better think about it." His words then moved on to Zig. "And Zig, if you find someone you want to team up with, go talk to them."

"The cards will bring two people together if they're meant to team up, right?" Apparently Jack suddenly acquired an understanding of Yusei's words of wisdom.

"You got it."

"Seems to me that, since we've met here, one of us must have a connection with Zig." Zig blinked a number of times, wondering what wasn't clicking anymore. How could duel cards bring someone together? Gift cards were one thing, but cards design for battle? The only connection those could bring is a battle between adversaries. So he thought anyway.

"Jack! There you are!" A spunky girl glided through the air as she latched onto Jack's back, nearly knocking the two of them over. Unlike Akiza, this girl wore much more conservative clothing, sporting a long sleeved shirt with powder blue stripes. A fur-lined vest rested on top, setting it apart from her spiral glasses and dark jeans.

"Carly... Y-You're here too?" Jack removed the girl from his person, dusting off the dirt her stunt puffed onto his pure white jacket.

"Of course I am! I can't pass the chance to get a story on all these famous duelists! Now's the time to do some serious fact-finding!" Her comment suggested her occupation as a reporter. Strange, Zig thought Jack would welcome to chance to be interviewed and spread his name like wildfire. There had to be more under the surface... "It's certainly time for fact-finding, but... If you still need a partner, Jack, maybe I'm just who you need? We'd make the perfect team, so how about it?"

Ignoring the red tint on Carly's cheeks, Jack slashed her hopes in seconds without mercy. "I'll, uh, think about it. This is a big, important decision after all." Clearly not wishing to stay, he cleared this throat after stepping back very slowly, "Anyway, I, uh... totally forgot I need to go shopping for some late night snacks. I'll catch you all later."

"Hold your horses, Jack!" Jack exited stage right, Carly feverishly chasing after him. Poor Carly, she'd never have a real shot with a guy like that. Zig'd pray for her success regardless.

* * *

"Heh heh! How's it going Yusei? Enjoying the party?" A tower of a man overshadowed him and Yusei, the latter of the two not even the least bit threatened.

"I know everyone should be enjoying themselves, but shouldn't you be focusing on work, Trudge?" The man-tower's shorter and stricter companion refused to let him slack, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Right, sorry..." Trudge backed down like a kicked puppy. There was no fighting his boss without sacrificing his eardrums.

"Arena patrol, huh? Sounds rough." Yusei chimed in, though he hadn't forgotten about Zig as he addressed him, "I've known these two for quite some time." As the quivering Kraft wasn't going to pipe up soon, he took it upon himself to introduce the newcomer. "Trudge, Mina, this is Zig. He's a duelist who moved into town recently."

Mina paid no heed to Zig's shyness, smiling like she found a long lost friend. "Hi Zig, I'm Mina Simington, Sector Chief of Special Investigations. If there is something you want to know, feel free to ask me or Vice Chief Trudge."

Trudge and Mina were kind individuals for their positions. Trudge dressed like any regular guy would-plain button-up shirt, black jeans, and a plain brown belt. Mina showed more professionalism, sporting a blue coat, a white blouse, and a moderate-length skirt. Her accessories were a pair of earrings and a tear-drop necklace. Their clothes defined them well.

"As Mina said, I'm Vice Chief Trudge. It's our job to be of use to the citizens here. Come and talk to me any time at all if you're in need of help-"

"By the way, isn't Atlas with you today?" Mina halted the conversation to bring up someone she and Yusei mutually knew.

"Jack was with us until a little while ago."

"Well, bad timing I guess." Mina sighed, utterly disappointed she just missed Jack. It couldn't be helped, the man still held popularity without his title. Most of it came from that somewhat annoying reporter, a thought she's never vocalize.

"Hey, are you guys gonna be in the tournament?" Yusei interrupted Mina's train of thought, properly awarded via two rather depressed frowns.

"Every part of me _wants_ to be." Trudge lamented, knowing any hopes to enter the WTGP were futile. Same went for the WRGP, especially since Turbo Duels could erupt into accidents more often than Standing Duels.

"We just don't have the time. We'll probably have to help manage the tournaments instead. Neither of us will be expecting a break for longer than a day or so. No reason to complain, however..." Mina's right hand clutched her head on impulse, "Spectators must be pouring in from all over the world. I get a headache thinking about it. So, we better get a move on before the work piles up. Hope to see you both sometime." Mina and Trudge said their goodbyes and left the building entirely. Zig noted to remember their faces in case he got lost or found himself hopeless in winning a single duel.

* * *

Lacking much to say after the enters and exits of Yusei's various friends, Zig played with his fingerless gloves in hopes to find something to talk about. Nothing came to mind, so the duo stood their in silence, neither exactly ready to leave. This allowed someone even Yusei couldn't recognize to join them, her long blond hair flying freely as she ran a hand through her blonde locks.

"Excuse me, you're Yusei Fudo, correct? My name's Sherry LeBlanc." Sherry allowed a smirk to grace her delicate features. "Hee hee, I recognized you right away. After all, I'm only interested in big, strong men just like you, Yusei." Was she _flirting _with Yusei?! "Did you already choose a partner?"

"Not yet. I'm probably not what you need either." Sherry's flirtations left no impression on the dueling champion, his response lacking any hint of flattery or embarrassment. "In Tag Duels, it's important to know your partner well, but we just met, so..."

Sherry refused to be beaten so easily, meeting Yusei's passive rejection head-on. "So? Time has nothing to do with it. There are ways for us to get more...intimate. All it'll take is a few turns together, and you'll have a deep understanding of me." Whether this was a friendly gesture or a threat towards Yusei, Zig saw no indication. "But today, I just came over to say hello."

Yusei's shoulders released a patch of hidden tension, somewhat cautious of people approaching him with such large requests suddenly. As Mina suggested, people from around the globe were flooding in to duel. Accepting a shady offer blindly led to horrible consequences.

"And you, the man in the red had, you don't look like a typical duelist either." Gee, wasn't _that _the truth? It'd be months before he matched the skill level of the masses. "How about being my partner?"

Zig handled Sherry's request as he did Jack's, with the only change being he actually said something instead of letting Yusei handle the matter. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm from out of town myself. Settling down's enough stress for one day, so I'll have to think things through before I give you a definite yes or no."

"Pity, I wanted a strong man to take me by the arm here and now. Regardless, I am not a woman who gives up on someone at first meeting. Au revoir for now." Sherry gestured to her two candidates and promptly left. Perhaps another day the two would be more agreeable.

* * *

Yusei and Zig found a topic to talk about after their strange encounter, leading them to find a table so as to not tire themselves out standing for hours. During their discussion, the less-experienced duelist caught someone staring at them from rather far away. His sudden silence caught Yusei's attention, "What's wrong, Zig? You're rather quiet all of a sudden."

The strange man's eyes locked with his, neither side breaking contact. Once Yusei turned around, his attention switched to anything but their table. "The man over there? I don't notice anything odd."With his hidden observation interrupted, the guy gave up and left. "He's gone now. What was he doing exactly?"

"He kept staring at you. He's not someone you know, is he Yusei?" Zig found himself concerned. New or not, he knew a weirdo when he spotted one. Staring without even striking up a conversation definitely marked him as a suspicious character.

"That guy, huh? I had him pegged as suspicious myself." Trudge joined Zig and Yusei at their table, Mina leaving some time ago to sort their jointed work into order of importance. Watching the party didn't require the both of them; Trudge took the responsibility onto his shoulders for the night. "Zig's right too Yusei-he was definitely staring at you ever since you and your friend sat down."

"You sure you two weren't imagining things? He never rang a bell for me."

"Maybe you're right. I'm so wrapped up in my job, all these newcomers look a tad suspicious to me. But remember, you're kind of a celebrity in this town. It wouldn't hurt to keep your eyes peeled." Trudge relented, shrugging as he thought to let the subject go as to not delay his work any longer. "Anyway, Mina's expecting me. I better head back. Be careful, you two."

Trudge may have let the subject of Yusei's possible stalker go, yet Zig wasn't so eager. Acquaintances had a right to show concern in these sort of situations. Plus, Yusei kept him company for the night and he had to show appreciation somehow. He'd be ungrateful otherwise.

"You're pretty concerned about me, huh, Zig? Even though we just met a bit ago?" Zig nodded in response, Yusei changing his facial expression in a rare sight. "Is that right? I have a feeling we're gonna be good friends." On that remark, Yusei soon noticed the skies were much darker than when he first arrived. "It's getting late, so I better get home before Crow and Jack get worried. See you later, Zig."


	2. Partners

**Hello all, it's Kika again! Right alongside me's another chapter, which I hope you guys like! C: **

**I hope I formatted the Duel alright; if not, feel free to tell me and I'll correct it for next time!  
Anyhow, thanks for putting up with my weird. I'll be quiet and let you read now. **

* * *

**_Day 1 - Evening  
_****Fountain Plaza**

Zig slumped to the ground, more than sure the amount of duels he participated in today would be rivaled by no other. Wishing to polish his skills by testing them in a real environment, he wandered around New Domino asking whoever was available if they'd spare some time for a friendly one-on-one duel. Most of his opponents were men right about his age, with the odd patch of children and Duel Academy girls. All of them were nice in both victory and defeat, although it wasn't much of an excuse for his dueling average.

Out of the _seventy_ duels Zig had today, he won a measly _**fifteen**_ of them.

Whatever pride Zig used to have long since left him as he realized how much his inexperience cost him. Thank the heavens none of them were harsh about it; in fact, the Academy students he lost to were kind enough to offer advice on what strategist he could've used to turn things around and shift the duel in his favor. All these tips were stored in a notepad kept in a waist-pouch connected to his belt, said notepad soon needing replacement as there were few pages left.

Hardly content with his own efforts, Zig sighed and sat himself at a restaurant he passed by. The waitress who greeted him mentioned they had a different special each day, which kept most of their customers coming back for more. He ordered the special just to see what the hype was about, leading him to be greeted with a rather...interesting looking food item. She called it a "Junk Sandwich" or something along those lines-hopefully it wasn't made with real junk.

One bite, and then a pause. Despite its unsavory appearance, his meal tasted high-quality. He wolfed it down in record time, the few duels he won earning him more than enough DP to pay for his meal. "Thank you! Hope to see you again, cutiepie!" Zig's waitress waved as she returned to her work with a short song.

Zig waved back, promptly finding a place to settle down, collect his thoughts, and study the restaurant to amuse himself. All the people around minus those eating were people he dueled and, by majority rule, lost to. Rematches were a thing he embraced, but certainly not within a couple hours. Badgering people wasn't going to earn him a clean reputation.

Traveling to Satellite could bring some fresh faces for him to duel, but it'd take a while just to get over there. Even if his duels lasted for a few minutes, he wouldn't be able to make it back home before midnight at that rate... _Should I just call it a day? My apartment's not too far from here. _

Zig nodded, readying himself to stand up. This plan didn't flesh out, as someone he vaguely recognized came rushing to his side. By some twist of fate, it happened to be the guy who kept staring at Yusei the day before. "Hey, you're that guy-"

"Zig Kraft, right?" The man addressed him by full name to his surprise. How in the world did he know that? He hadn't even told Yusei and his friends his last name! "I was searching for you, but I didn't find you anywhere. Your room was empty as well, so I knew you had to be somewhere wandering the city." Did he leave his room unlocked? That wasn't a very smart idea on his part...

Leaving the break-in aside, the mystery of how someone he never formally met could find out his name and address was the main question on his mind. Before he could ask, however, the mystery duelist shoved a finger in his face to keep him quiet. He better offer some answers, or else he'd book it at top speed to Trudge or Mina. Trudge pegged the guy as suspicious last night, so he'd be on Zig's side about the matter.

"I can sense your suspicions, although I'll lay them to rest as I mean no harm towards you or Yusei Fudo. Watching you duel, anyone can see you are confident in yourself and your deck despite your sub-par dueling skills. With some proper training, I believe you are capable of great things." That made one of them. Zig lacked lasting faith in himself, thanks to his very poor 4:1 loss average. "Knowing this, I have a favor to ask of you."

Without any prompting, Zig found himself dragged to his feet, forcibly strung along by the arm. "The fact is, like many duelists here, I am in need of a suitable tag partner. To my dismay, I can't find any good candidates. Due to this, I need you to come with me for a moment."

Even if Zig refused, he was given the illusion of choice. The grip on his arm couldn't be pulled off by force, so his questionable guide had free reign to do whatever he pleased without any sort of repercussions. Hopefully he spoke the truth when he confessed no ill will towards him and Yusei.

* * *

_**Day 1 - Night  
**_**Satellite Shoreline**

Vizor, that was the closest thing to a name Zig was given to call the mystery duelist, stopped their adventure when they arrived at the Satellite's shoreline. As expected, their trip took them enough time for the sun to set, meaning he wouldn't be getting home until late. Ah well, he wasn't on a tight schedule, so he'd sleep in to make up for lost hours.

"Here should be fine." The deathgrip on Zig's arm let go, moving along to punch in a few buttons on a custom duel disk. "The reason I brought you to such a remote place is simply because I want you to duel with me here and now. For me to measure your power as a tag partner, I must test your abilities myself. Observation does not compare to experience.

...If Vizor wanted nothing more than a duel, why in the world was walking to Satellite so important? Couldn't they have found somewhere _not _a mile or so away from his apartment? Not many lingered outside after dark, so it wouldn't be hard to find a suitable place.

"Since you went so far as to research me in depth, can I at least know why you thought I was a suitable partner or why you even need a partner in the first place? Call it a hunch, but I believe you're not exactly looking to join the WTGP." If that were all the precautions wouldn't be so complicated.

Vizor smiled, knowing his answer'd be an annoyance to Zig. "Sorry, I can't tell you the reason. You have to show me your power before I can shed light on my intentions." Figured. "But, I will tell you this duel is of major importance. It could drastically alter your future. Knowing this, will you fight me?"

Zig tapped his chin with his index finger, debating whether or not to accept the challenge. "Drastically altering his future" sounded far-fetched, but he couldn't be sure without any details of why Vizor required a partner and why he was chosen as a possible candidate. If this lack of answers could be fixed with a duel, he had nothing to lose, right?

"I accept. Prepare some good answers, as I'll be expecting under the condition I win."

"Thank you. I knew you wouldn't refuse." Both duelists activated their duel disks, decks already inserted into the proper slot. "If you are ready, let us begin."

**Normal Duel - Zig vs Vizor**

**Zig - 8000 LP  
**

**Vizor - 8000 LP **

"As I'm the one who asked you to duel, you should go first." Vizor offered, which Zig accepted as he drew for this turn.

_A decent hand... _Zig found a suitable combo for the first round, firstly revealing his one and only Field Spell. "First off, I'll activate the Field Spell Closed Forest. Its effects aren't active yet, so I'll save you the winded explanation until they become relevant." The area around them transformed to a dark woods, one cat-like eye watching over them from Zig's side of the field. "Next, I'll summon Breaker the Magical Warrior to my field."

**–Breaker the Magical Warrior–**  
**ATK/1600 DEF/1000**  
**Level 4/Spellcaster/Effect**

...Strange, Vizor assumed by Zig's Field Spell that his Deck would be composed of nothing but Beast-Type monsters. This unpredictability could give Zig the edge. "Breaker gains one Spell Counter when he's Normal Summoned, raising his attack by 300 points. And since I can't attack the first turn, I'll set a face down and end my turn."

Vizor smiled faintly, already impressed by Zig's performance. His numerous duels were slowly catching him up to speed on dueling; he'd see how much his potential partner learned in such a short amount of time.

"We'll see what your experiences today have taught you." Vizor drew without another word, quietly observing his hand. It fared well enough for his first turn. "From my hand, I'll active the Quick Spell Mystical Space Typhoon! I'm sure you've seen its effect before, so I hope you won't miss your Closed Forest!"

With a strong gust of wind, the forest surrounding their duel erupted into tiny bits of data, vanishing after Vizor's Spell joined his forest in the Graveyard. Mystical Space Typhoon and Heavy Storm were the banes of his existence... Maybe he should have taken Bright's advice and saved his Closed Forest Field Spell when his monsters actually needed the boost. Too late for regrets now.

"With your Closed Forest destroyed, I'll set a monster face-down alongside another face-down to end my turn."

_He's playing defensively? I haven't even attacked yet! Whatever, gives me the chance to retaliate. _"Alright, Draw!" His hand now became one of only monsters, half beast-type, the other two of different types. That face-down could be a problem, so he'd rid of it from the get-go. "Since you have a face-down, now's a better time than ever to activate Breaker's effect! By removing one Spell Counter, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field, leaving just your monster to deal with."

Breaker radiated a magical aura which enveloped Vizor's face-down before it faded into the graveyard. _A Torrential Tribute, huh? Good thing I didn't summon right away. _"With your Trap Card gone, I'll summon X-Saber Airbellum to the field!" A deformed man stood beside Zig's Breaker the Magical Warrior, claws resembling a famous superhero in comics if memory served correct.

**-X-Saber Airbellum-**  
**ATK/1600 DEF/200**  
**Level 3/Beast/Tuner**

"He won't be staying for long, as I'll be tuning Aribellum and Breaker together to Synchro Summon one of my aces!" Airbellum faded into three green rings surrounding Breaker, who slowly became transparent to reveal a set of round lights. "The bonds I have forged shall not be broken. They are guided by the strongest of storms! Reveal yourself, Lightning Warrior!"

**-Lightning Warrior-**  
**ATK/2400 DEF/1200**  
**Level 7/Warrior/Synchro/Effect**

So Zig knew how to Synchro Summon? He learned a decent amount within his first day of real dueling. Vizor hid the ghost of a smile on his face, patiently waiting for Zig to keep up the momentum. He'd be a suitable partner at this rate.

"Lightning Warrior, attack his face-down monster! Lightning Strike!" Lightning Warrior's fist cackled as sparks of electricity were caught in the breeze. One swift uppercut threw Vizor's face-down monster into the air, the monster writhing as the electricity coursed through its body. As it proved too much, it perished. "Since your monster was destroyed, Lightning Warrior's effect comes into play! When he destroys a monster and sends it to the Graveyard, you'll take 300 points of damage for each card in your hand!"

Vizor, unluckily had cards in his hand-four to be exact. Lightning Warrior's fist sparked again, a bolt of lightning striking Vizor head-on, shaving off a bit of his life points after impact. He'd have to be careful about keeping cards in his hand while Zig's Lightning Warrior dominated the field.

**Zig - 8000 LP  
**

**Vizor - 6800 LP **

"I have nothing else to set, so I'll end my turn." Only three turns in and he was building up a decent offense. Zig felt a bit of pride well up within him. At this rate, he'd have a shot at winning! Answers were nearing arm's reach.

"You have been a more formidable opponent than any of the other duelists I have tested today. I see no reason to hold back." His draw responded in kind, gracing him with just the card to slay Zig's offense. "I'll activate the spell Lightning Vortex! At the price of discarding one card, I can destroy all face-up monsters on your field!"

Zig gasped, _certainly _not prepared for his monster to be destroyed so effortlessly. As Vizor discarded one card to the graveyard, a maelstrom of arrow-shaped lightning bolts pierced Lightning Warrior, his beloved Synchro Monster vanishing from the field. This could get ugly...

"As you have no monsters left to defend yourself, I summon Red Gadget to the field!" A short robot painted red and carrying a giant cog wheel appeared in front of Vizor. It didn't look too difficult to beat, but Zig didn't exactly have any options to beat Vizor's machine at the moment.

**-Red Gadget-**  
**ATK/1300 DEF/1500**  
**Level 4/Machine/Effect**

"And because I normal summoned Red Gadget, his effect allows me to add Yellow Gadget from my deck to my hand." And right on cue, he was shown Vizor's newly-drawn Yellow Gadget, soon to be shuffled in the man's hand. "Ready or not, Zig! Red Gadget will attack you directly!"

The machine rushed towards him, grabbing the giant god wheel off his back to jab at the duelist's stomach. Zig let out a small breath, not exactly thrilled Vizor's low-level monster did more damage than Lightning Warrior did.

**Zig - 6700 LP  
**

**Vizor - 6800 LP **

"With one face-down, I'll end my turn. Your move, Zig."

_Time for a quick recovery! I can't let myself lose hope only five turns into the duel! _"Draw!" Zig was graced with something other than a monster, and he wouldn't hesitate to make use of it. If things went awry, his monster could be a benefit, even if it were destroyed.

"I'll summon Anarchist Monk Ranshin to the field!" The monster's name was description enough-no imagination needed.

**-Anarchist Monk Ranshin-**  
**ATK/1800 DEF/100**  
**Level 4/Spellcaster/Effect**

"To beef up his offensive powers, I'll equip him with the Equip Spell Malevolent Nuzzler, adding an addition 700 attack points! It has another effect, but we'll get to it when I actually use it." _If I have to use it, that is. _"Red Gadget's overstayed his welcome; Ranshin shall see him to the Graveyard-"

Vizor shook his head, waving a finger as he activated his face-down Trap Card. "Not so fast, Zig. With the help of my Raigeki Break, if I discard one card, I can destroy another card on the field. Red Gadget will be sticking around for another round!" As quick as Ranshin made his entrance, he left the field; seems his moment of glory lasted for little time.

"Alright, but my monster has an effect! When he's sent to the Graveyard, he removes one of your monsters in the Graveyard from play. I'll be choosing your Tech Genus Cyber Magician SC-01; hope you didn't need him." Before Vizor could comment, Zig gesture suggest he had more to say. "And while I'm at it, I'll activate Malevolent Nuzzler's second effect. For the price of 500 LPs, I can and will place it on top of my deck. Your turn, Vizor."

Vizor nodded, drawing a card he wouldn't be using as of right now. "Red Gadget, attack Zig directly again!" Red Gadger rushed Zig the same way two turns ago, whacking him with his giant cog wheel on the head this time around.

**Zig - 4900 LP  
**

**Vizor - 6800 LP**

"Your turn again, Zig."

Thanks to Malevolent Nuzzler's effect, his draw was none other than his ever-familiar Equip Spell. It'd be useful paired with his choice monster. "I'll summon Mine Mole to the field, accompanied by the returning Equip Spell Malevolent Nuzzler!" Once again, the name explained itself, although one could note Zig's mole had a pickaxe in its hand.

**-Mine Mole-**  
**ATK/1000 DEF/1200**  
**Level 3/Beast/Effect**

"This time, I _know _my attack will land! Mine Mole, destroy Vizor's Red Gadget!" Mine Mole swung his pickaxe at Red Gadget, his makeshift weapon overheating the poor thing, shutting it down and thus sending it to the Graveyard.

**Zig - 4900 LP  
**

**Vizor - 6400 LP**

"My turn I'll assume." Zig nodded, leading Vizor to draw. Another monster, one that couldn't defeat Zig's Mine Mole while it had the added effect of Malevolent Nuzzler. "I'll summon a monster face-down to end my turn."

Good news, for once. "Alright, my draw!" Zig's monster streak came back, not that it was a bad thing. "Slate Warrior will join Mine Mole on my side of the field! Its primary effect cannot be activated if I summon him normally, but it's a small price to pay."

**-Slate Warrior-**  
**ATK/1900 DEF/400**  
**Level 4/Fiend/Effect**

"Mine Mole will take care of your face-down monster as Slate Warrior attacks you directly! Go!" Mine Mole and Slate Warrior responded with nods, Mine Mole's pickaxe making quick work of Vizor's face-down Buster Blaster and Slate Warrior's fist impacted Vizor's stomach, taking a sizable amount of LPs in one strike.

**Zig - 4900 LP  
**

**Vizor - 4500 LP**

"I'm back in the lead finally. My miniature come-back ends there not to kill the excitement." Zig's field was much better off than earlier. Two monsters, both at least 1500 points in attack, and one face-down that had remained on his field since his first turn. It'd help him in a tight spot-most likely if Vizor Synchro-Summoned something impressive.

"My draw, then." A very unfruitful draw, to his dismay. This turned out to be somewhat of an anticlimactic duel, he could admit, but Vizor wasn't looking to please an audience obviously. If Zig won by simple means, it didn't matter. "I'll summon Yellow Gadget to the field and end my turn. His effect allows me to add Green Gadget to my hand, although I have no way to summon him at the moment."

**-Yellow Gadget-**  
**ATK/1200 DEF/1200**  
**Level 4/Machine/Effect**

"Sorry to say this, but this may be the final turn in our duel." Zig smiled confidently, not even bothering to look at his newly drawn card. The pieces were in place. "Time to reveal my long-awaited face-down, Call of the Haunted! With it, I will summon my old friend, Lightning Warrior! Let's finish this!"

Lightning Warrior rose from beyond the grave, turning back to Zig as if it knew he'd return to strike the final blow. "Alright, first order of business! Mine Mole, destroy Yellow Gadget!" Mine Mole did as he was told, leaving Vizor defenseless against Zig's final attack.

**Zig - 4900 LP **

**Vizor - 4000 LP**

"Slate Warrior, your turn! Attack Vizor directly!" Another quick blow, and Vizor was left with a few LPs short to survive Lightning Warrior's imminent attack.

**Zig - 4900 LP **

**Vizor - 2100 LP**

"End it, Lightning Warrior! Lightning Strike!" Lightning Warrior suddenly smiled, his element seemingly stronger and brighter than before. Vizor couldn't help but find he had misjudged Zig and this duel. Sure, he said Zig had potential, but he wasn't expecting to be the loser of this duel. Ah well, he couldn't predict the future.

**Zig - 4900 LP**

**Vizor - 0 LP**

**Winner: Zig**

* * *

"Just as expected. You certainly showed me what you're made of." Vizor walked to Zig's side, patting the younger boy's shoulder out of respect. "I couldn't ask for a more powerful duelist to aid me in my struggles. My feeling about you sure was right. With you at my side, I'll definitely be able to..."

"Able to...?" Zig urged him to go on, as that was the bargain they settled on at the beginning of their duel.

"Oh, sorry. I promised I'd tell you the reason if you won. You can choose whether to be my tag partner after that, but don't hesitate to say no if you don't want to." Oh **now **he was shown some choice? It wasn't as much of a bother as his thoughts suggested, but it would have been nice to stall this duel until the next day. "Right now, a grave danger is approaching New Domino City. To avert it, we will need the power of the Signer Yusei Fudo."

...Oh. So Vizor really **did** have a valid reason for watching him and Yusei at the party. Kind of.

"But he is of no use in his present condition. Unless we can awaken the power buried within him, then there is no future for this world. I came to New Domino City for the sole purpose of guiding him on this awakening." So Yusei was this chosen one to save the world? First he was a celebrity, now a savior? Poor Yusei, he'd never be left alone at this rate. "However, to my misfortune, my powers alone are not enough to lead him to such an enlightenment. And to make matters worse, I've fallen behind one of our enemies..."

"Enemies...?"

"Our enemy is a group called Yliaster. They use formidable cards called Machine Emperors." Vizor's hand left Zig's shoulder to grasp his hand, Zig blushing at the sudden gesture. "Because of this, I need your power to make up for my own lack of strength. And as you must have already guessed, I want to do that in a Tag Duel. The previous duelists I challenge lacked the powers I desired, but you've got it! If you and I combine our strength, we can definitely lead Yusei to his awakening!"

Vizor noticed Zig's aura of disbelief and promptly let go. His story was quite the mouthful to swallow all at once, but the fact Zig actually quieted himself to think about this suggested he wouldn't dismiss the story as make-believe right off the bat. "Hearing this story all of a sudden, I know it might be hard to believe. But will you trust me and give me a hand?"

Zig lost himself in his thoughts, processing the story that he just received in bulk alongside the bonus offer. If Vizor's story was true, New Domino City faced peril not too far in the future. Yusei's awakening decided whether or not the city survived as well. If he aided Vizor on his quest, maybe he could ask for his assistance in the WTGP. It wouldn't hurt.

"You can count me in. We'll save New Domino City, no matter the cost." Zig shook the hand that grasped his own, vowing to save the city while also saving his friends as he originally intended.

"Thanks! I appreciate it! Glad to have you, Zig." Vizor completed the first part in his multi-step plan. "Right, this doesn't mean that we have to act right away. Yusei still has his doubts. He'll need a little more time to cast them aside. Until the time comes, we may have to protect him from our enemies. Because of that, I may have to expose you to some danger."

Danger? Like that was a problem. Danger and Zig were never apart for longer than a few minutes. "Danger's no problem. It always finds me wherever I go, so I know how to handle myself in a fight or any other high-risk task."

Vizor was amused by Zig's remark, trusting he meant it. "The truth is, even I'm unsure what kindof danger will be assailing New Domino City. All I know is that disaster is definitely going to strike in the near future. I'm still gathering details on it now, so don't tell a soul until we have the facts." Like it needed saying, naturally.

"Thanks for everything today, Zig. I'll come for you when your powers are needed. Have a safe trip home." Vizor waved goodbye as he walked in the opposite direction of Zig's apartment. His PDA said the time was 2:23 AM...

Yeah, he wasn't getting up tomorro-er...today.


	3. The Marginal Accomplice?

**Hello again. I'm proud of myself, actually dishing out chapters at such a rate!  
Sadly I don't think this will hold up for long as I'm going to get a LOT of work soon.  
After though, I'll pick up the speed again. C: **

**Anyhow, as usual, hope you enjoy! If you do, I'd love to know!**

* * *

_**Day 3 - Early Morning  
**_**Zig's Apartment**

As he planned, Zig slept the entire day and woke up fully energized the next morning. Sure, there were winks of sleep gnawing at his eyelids, but that was because he refused to even stir yesterday; he locked his room like a regular person and everything. What he did forget was to change out of his clothes and into some pajamas, not that it was all that important beyond he had to wear his uniform from back home. It's not like anyone would recognize the symbol of the Rankers.

Where Zig came from, the country of Bazalta, everything was based around a combat organization of the same name. Those with higher Ranks earned fame, fortune, and the power to change the world as they saw fit. None of that stuff interested Zig; he was aiming to prove himself a strong warrior, nothing more, nothing less. The Ranks ranged from 100,000 to 1, whoever reached Rank 1 bearing the title Last Ranker to mark them as the strongest person alive.

Zig wasn't Rank 1 or anything, but he managed to secure a title as Rank 6. Suffice to say, Zig's combat abilities were far, **far **greater than anything he could pull off in a duel. If only duels could be solved by weapons, not cards... This entire fiasco would be over and done before anyone could label him the Marginal Duelist! ...He kinda liked the nickname though.

But reminiscing aside, his uniform was nothing more than a plain black coat with a collar trimmed to match his crimson eyes, although nobody could see them. He ditched his jeans for black dress pants and thicker boots suited for combat. What marked his position as a Ranker was a four-pointed star within a circle resting on both sides of his coat collar. Carrying a piece of home wouldn't harm anyone, right? If so, that's why he kept his hat on.

Outside, the atmosphere changed drastically from the day before. People were in large groups whispering to each other in low voices. Was there a city-wide rumor going around that he missed? No surprise if that were the case. Rumors were boring anyway.

"-I heard from my friend these Ghosts have been appearing on the Combat Lane."  
"Dude, no way!"  
"Yeah, me too! And I've heard the former champion's been attacking anyone he finds with a deck! Who would've thought he was a criminal?"  
"Remember, he _did _lose to Satellite's Shooting Star, Yusei. I'd be upset too if someone who was my friend stole my stardom for himself."

Were people spreading rumors about Yusei? Maybe these rumors would be worth something after all.

Zig backtracked to join the circle of men gathered around a random remote spot in the city. None of them were concerned as he sat down. One even greeted him, albeit with his insulting nickname. "Hey, it's the Marginal Duelist! I heard you beat someone far beyond your league the other day! Glad to see those loses aren't holding ya down!" Reminders about his poor win:loss average wasn't what he needed right now. "Did ya come to listen to some rumors?"

"Actually, yes. I heard you guys talking about Yusei and I wanted to know what it was about. He's my friend, so I'd like to keep him out of trouble if you know what I mean." Each member of the circle whispered to their neighbor, none of them raising objections. _Glad to know people can accept outsiders with ease. _

"Well from what I've heard, you know Jack Atlas, right?" Zig met Jack briefly, so he answered with a short 'yes'. "He used to be the champion until Yusei Fudo beat him in the Fortune Cup tournament. While he acts like the loss hasn't changed anything, everyone with eyes knows he's sore on the subject. But that's not what the rumor's about."

Another person took the story up from there, all eyes shifting to him. "They're saying that Jack Atlas' been hanging around the Combat Lane attacking any duelist who crosses his path, declaring himself as the one and only champion! He's sent over ten people to the hospital already! You should be careful if you plan on visiting the bridges, dude. That's where all the attacks have been happening."

Ironically, despite saying the rumor was about Yusei, the gossip group instead fed him a rather disturbing rumor about Yusei's friend, Jack. Why Jack would suddenly be sending people to the hospital, he knew the guy for a few minutes; he wasn't in a position to make judgment calls. Maybe he'd have to talk to Jack face-to-face?

"By any chance do you know where Jack lives?" A number of guys responded they did, one of them taking Zig's notepad to write down the address and general directions from their meeting spot. He gave thanks to most of them by name (he dueled a fraction of their group) and left to visit Jack's place. From the address it couldn't be too far from here. By some relief it wasn't at Satellite, which took _way _too long to get to by foot.

* * *

_**Day 3 - Morning**_  
**Zora's Shop **

About an hour later, Zig found himself in front of an old school building. Was this the place...? He expected a more class from a person who prided himself as a "champion" and wasn't afraid to take names on the way. Searching around, seems he wasn't the only person to neglect locking his place, there weren't many places to sleep besides a number of couches. Most of the building was taken up by Duel Runner stations, which wasn't a surprise. Jack, Yusei, and Crow were all ready to participate the WRGP, so their obsessions with their Duel Runners? Expected.

"Hey, what are you doing in here young man?" A old woman yelled at him, walking down the steps to find out who would be breaking into someone's home at this early hour. As a surprise, it happened to be one of Yusei's newer friends...what was his name again? "Oh-is your name Zig by any chance?"

Zig blinked in response, unsure how people were learning his name around here. The nickname Marginal Duelist spread like mad, but his actual name hadn't reach more than few ears in his very short stay in New Domino. "Yes, why do you ask? Not to be rude, but I don't remember meeting anyone like you."

The lady let out a sigh, relieved to hear her assumption was correct. If it weren't, the poor lad may have received a few blows to the head thanks to a broom or any suitable blunt object to drive a troublemaker away. "Pardon my rudeness, my name is Zora. I'm the caretaker of your three rowdy friends. Yusei told me about you after I reprimanded him for coming home so late at night."

"Truth be told, you just missed Yusei. He left a couple minutes ago to buy some parts for his Duel Runner. I swear, that boy loves that D-Wheel more than anything in the world..." Zora chuckled, meaning to make a joke and failing by the standards of Zig's confused stare.

"Actually...I was wondering if Jack were here. Maybe you've heard, but there are some rumors going around that Jack's been sending people to the hospital by dueling." Zig stuck his hands up, realizing he sounded rather accusing when speaking of Jack's case. "N-Not that I think he's responsible, but I wanted to hear what he has to say. He's the victim here."

Zora rolled her eyes, already knowing where the moocher of the three was hanging around. He always visited this particular place during the morning hours. "I haven't heard any rumors like that, but if Jack's anywhere right now, he's visiting the Cafe la Geen. He's always sipping his money down thanks to that Blue-Eyes Mountain Coffee that's worth a fortune a cup."

Cafe la Geen...Zig visited that place before Vizor dragged him out to duel. He ordered inexpensively on purpose, although he found no consequence as the food was tasty. His meal only cost about 1500 DP including his tea, which was the average amount he won in a duel...assuming he _won _a duel at all.

"Thank you, Zora. If it isn't too much trouble, do you mind telling Yusei hello for me? Oh, and I should give you this too." Zig removed from his waist-pouch a separate notepad from the one filled with dueling strategies. Getting those mixed up could confuse him if he was to ever seriously renovate his deck. It worked for now; no reason to fix what wasn't broken. "This is my apartment's address. If Yusei, Jack, or Crow want to find me, tell them to visit my apartment. I'm a late riser, so they'll catch me more often than not."

"Take care, dear. Keep working hard!" Zora saw the lad off, then returned to the mountain of jobs she had taking care of Yusei and two over-sized children.

* * *

_**Day 3 - Early Afternoon **_  
**Fountain Plaza**

At the Cafe la Geen, business hit a rather rough curve. Their waitress' favorite customer came to visit as he did every morning, but his presence scared anyone else who happened to be visiting at the time. Besides Jack, there were only a few tables filled, and those two were as far away from Jack's table as physically possible. From the way Jack sipped down his coffee with a carefree expression, his negative reception wasn't a bother.

Zig strolled inside and sat himself at a table next to Jack, ordering the daily special and a spot of Green Tea. Coffee never sat well in his stomach, so he preferred the relaxing effects of a cup or two of tea. He had a pot and stove to brew his own tea at home, but why waste the time visiting a cafe to not order anything? He'd save his supplies for a rainy day.

Finishing his cup, Jack caught a glimpse of a familiar character. The outfit wasn't recognizable, yet that red hat stuck out like a sore thumb. "Zig? I never thought you'd be into anything high-class. There's more to you than meets the eye." Zig laughed lightly, insisting there wasn't much to him beyond the surface in reality, although his surface gave no real hints.

"I visited this cafe the other day, actually. Zora told me you came here every morning, so I stopped by. Glad to see you're enjoying yourself." The Marginal Duelist pointed to Jack's various sets of tea cups scattered across the table. How he could stand over ten cups of coffee without becoming jittery, the mystery lived on.

Jack ignored whatever malicious sarcasm was hidden behind Zig's remark, sipping down his eleventeenth cup as of today. Pity the soul who dare to count the amount of cups Jack had in a week or longer. "Professional duelists, if they wish to truly be professionals, must also conduct themselves like professionals-this includes the foods they eat. Nothing compares to both the taste and price of the Blue-Eyes Mountain Coffee!"

The latter of the two wasn't a lie. 3000 DP was an absurd amount of cash to pay for nothing but a cup of coffee. If Zig bought filling meals at half the price, certainly something was wrong here. He'd stick to his profession as a Ranker-there you _earned_ money for your position, not the vice versa.

"If you say so. Where I come from, labeling yourself a professional adds more work than benefits, not that I mind. No substitute for experience as they say." Zig thanked the lady who dropped off his plate of unsightly (and deceivingly delicious) pancakes and cup of green tea. His meal actually went down about 200 DP in price as an bonus. "But jokes aside, can I talk to you about a more serious topic?"

"A more serious topic" had to be none other than the tasteless rumors spread about him. If Zig caught wind of the rumor, it had to be spreading much faster than he thought. "I know what you're going to say, and I'll tell you what I've told everyone else. No matter what these rumors are claiming, I haven't been going around injuring people for kicks. Only thugs do that."

...That could've gone better. Now Jack's mood fouled and his investigation hit an abrupt end. "I wasn't aiming to accuse you, Jack... What I wanted to talk about was what you thought of these rumors. Why do you think they spread so fast?"

The older male set both of his hands on the table, his elbows creating a stable support for his face as it rested on his hands. Jack hadn't given their accusations much thought as he knew them to be false. Zig, on the other hand, wouldn't know better, and he shouldn't blame the guy for that.

"My assumption's that someone wants to establish some authority in New Domino City. As I once was blinded by my power and ego, who better to impersonate than the old me? I'm sorry for snapping at you for assuming you'd be ready to believe I was a criminal."

Speaking of criminals, sirens erupted from outside the cafe, stopping eerily close to the entrance. Zig's gut feeling warned him of danger, and they were rarely wrong. "Sector Security! We have a warrant to bring Jack Atlas in for questioning!" The danger left him be and targeted Jack. Yeesh, even the police couldn't stop themselves from listening to rumors.

"Psst, Jack, Zig! Over here!" The waitress who served them both drew them farther into the shop, far enough for her to speak quietly without the sirens outside blurring her voice out. "There's a back door to this cafe. I'll distract the securities to buy you both some time. I advise you hide somewhere for the day and keep low until tomorrow."

Past the Employees Only room lay a door just as their waitress, she randomly introduced herself as Stephanie, said. Jack left outside without looking back, yet Zig took a moment to thank Stephanie for the huge favor. "Tee hee! Anything for my Jackie-poo and his cute friend! Take care and visit us when you have free time!"

There weren't any authorities or vehicles behind the cafe building, although who knew how long Stephanie could hold the fort before they gained pursuers. She suggested a place securities wouldn't think to look, but where...? "Zig, what are you standing there for? If you keep spacing out, we won't be able to make it back to Zora's-"

"No! That'll be too obvious. You can stay at my place for the day. Sector Security's looking for you, not me; they wouldn't have any reason to suspect you were hiding in a random apartment building, don't you think?" Jack found no grounds to disagree, so he gestured Zig to take the lead and guide him to his apartment. Minutes later, sirens departed from the cafe and took to the streets, but all the sources were far away and head in opposite directions of the duo. Zig's mediocrity proved useful today.

* * *

_**Day 3 - Night  
**_**Zig's Apartment**

Jack spent the rest of his day cooped up in his semi-friend's apartment. It wasn't fitting of his lifestyle, but it beat an interrogation at the hands of Sector Security. Besides, his misadventures allowed him ample time to learn more about Zig. He squeezed out simple things from a bombardment of questions, though most of his questions were side-stepped by very generic answers that left the other party unsatisfied.

Breaking Zig's high and mighty wall wasn't a task fit for one. He'd soften as he became comfortable with New Domino and her people. "Zig, why haven't you taken off your hat? Not once have I seen you remove or touch that hat since I saw you at the WTGP announcement." It bothered him to associate with someone whose face he'd never truly seen. Carly removed her glasses once in a while; Zig never bothered to reveal himself fully.

"Um...It's nothing personal. My hair's a horrible mess to deal with, so putting on a hat's the easiest thing to do in the morning." Jack glared at the lying teen, severely unconvinced messy hair was the reason he refused to take off his hat. "Really, beyond it being comfortable and keeping the light from blinding me, there's no secret reason for me to wear this hat."

Zig's hesitation and uncertainty weren't helping his case. Interrogating answers out of him wouldn't be much of a "thank you" for allowing him to camp out here and avoid "questioning" as the authorities phrased it. If they were listening to the rumors, no doubt they were ready to arrest him and skip any questions. Did Trudge or Sector Security believe him to take pleasure in hurting others?

"I'll let the hat thing go for now. Stephanie may have distracted them for us, but if I chose another place to hide, a gut feeling tells me I would've been caught a long time ago. Thanks for your help, Zig." Jack thanked the guy who he considered his friend after the entire fiasco. He did say at the party that the cards brought people together-was he the one who had the connection, not Yusei for once?

"It's fine. We've known each other for less than a week, but even an outsider like me can see you wouldn't be the type to seek out and destroy opponents for sport." As a "you're welcome" present, Zig removed his hat to reveal his maroon orbs. "Be careful on your way home, Jack. If you need anything, I gave Zora my address in case you forget where this is."

"I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Zig."

* * *

_**Day 4 - Early Morning **_**  
Zig's Apartment **

"Open up! Sector Security!" Zig awoke with a start, several fists banging at his door. Funny, why hadn't any of them thought to twist the knob a little? He left the door open just in case Jack came back.

Changing into his "blend-in" outfit, Zig answered the door to be greeted by two Sector Security officials, Dean and Lioside, and Trudge of all people. "Hey Trudge, what do you need me for?" Trudge said nothing, he gestured Lioside to grab Zig's wrists and shut the apartment door. Dean hand-cuffed Zig before he had any time to register what was happening and struggle. "You're _arresting _me?! On what charges?"

Trudge spoke up at Zig's demand, thinking had a right to know the bare minimum. "You're not under arrest, but we're bringing you in for questioning. As of yesterday, people were talking about how the Marginal Duelist turned out to be an accomplice in Jack's criminal spree. No one else goes by that name but you, correct?"

Did someone catch him and Jack high-tailing it out of the cafe? They _were_ running in broad daylight, so maybe he should've thought about the consequences more. "Fine, since I sorely doubt you're in the mood to listen to reason right outside my apartment, let's get this over with." Giving up while he was ahead, Zig stopped resisting and went with the punches. "Anger makes you stupid" as the saying goes, so he'd have to keep his composure if he wished to lie through this.

Jack _definitely _owed him after this.


End file.
